# 'No' Means November Rants **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 31, 2013, 7:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-means-november-rants/672729 "2013-10-31T07:36:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 28
**Author:** ![half-elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ac91a4/32.png) [@half-elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/half-elf)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2013, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-means-november-rants/672729/541 "2013-11-24T20:38:19Z")
> [@Seanette](#): > > I got the same reassignment (August 26). > > I’ve never thought it made much sense that a bunch of rocks millions of miles away know more about my life than I do. 🙂 > > Trying to get the brain (such as it is) booted up for deheathenization. Don’t know why I fixated on getting my computer to be able to print here at home when the computer is out and around with me. Answer me this please, which I seem to be hearing more and more lately, and it drives me crazy because I don’t know how to reply: “No, I don’t believe in the newspaper horoscopes, but surely being born at X time of the year must have some influence on your personality.” :smack::dubious::rolleyes:☹ ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2013, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-means-november-rants/672729/542 "2013-11-24T20:46:12Z")
The correct reply is: “WHY must it?” ---
**Author:** ![flatlined](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eb9ed0/32.png) [@flatlined](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flatlined)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2013, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-means-november-rants/672729/543 "2013-11-24T21:36:01Z")
> [@half-elf](#): > > Answer me this please, which I seem to be hearing more and more lately, and it drives me crazy because I don’t know how to reply: “No, I don’t believe in the newspaper horoscopes, but surely being born at X time of the year must have some influence on your personality.” > :smack::dubious::rolleyes:☹ I think I can run with this. I have friends who believe in the woo. This will only work for people who live in the same time zone as me…feel free to change the months as you see fit. **The Sun Horoscope for Gaia:** _You were born in January, the month of darkness but renewal. You sometimes reflect this with dark moods and brooding, but are renewed with the simple joy that comes with a warm and inviting home. Your moods will go from deep introspection to laughter as inviting as the sound of a melting spring. Due to the darkness and cold, you will try to fill your home with warmth and love, but will happily leave to share in the warmth and love in the company of others._ From what I understand about writing horoscopes, you need to make the traits specific enough to define the months, but also general enough and flattering enough that someone could say “yeah, that could be me.” So…how am I doing? Should I quit my day job to spread even more woo around? ---
**Author:** ![Moonlitherial](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4bbf92/32.png) [@Moonlitherial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonlitherial)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2013, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-means-november-rants/672729/544 "2013-11-24T23:17:45Z")
I’ve always liked [this](http://fancythought.blogspot.ca/2010/11/rude-horoscope-that-you-will-never-hear.html) horoscope. It’s not exactly what you would call flattering but it’s definitely entertaining. ---
**Author:** ![eclectic\_wench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ac91a4/32.png) [@eclectic\_wench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eclectic_wench)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2013, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-means-november-rants/672729/545 "2013-11-24T23:25:18Z")
> [@half-elf](#): > > Answer me this please, which I seem to be hearing more and more lately, and it drives me crazy because I don’t know how to reply: “No, I don’t believe in the newspaper horoscopes, but surely being born at X time of the year must have some influence on your personality.” > :smack::dubious::rolleyes:☹ Actually, there’s evidence that the season of birth does have an influence. For example, you’re more likely to be schizophrenic if you’re born during the winter, and more likely to have bipolar disorder if you’re born in the [first quarter of the year](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1155204). I remember reading that there might be a link with OCD, too. They think it might have to do with the amount of Vitamin D the mother gets at specific points during the pregnancy. ---
**Author:** ![EmilyG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emilyg/32/364_2.png) [@EmilyG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmilyG)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2013, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-means-november-rants/672729/546 "2013-11-24T23:53:43Z")
> [@eclectic\_wench](#): > > Actually, there’s evidence that the season of birth does have an influence. For example, you’re more likely to be schizophrenic if you’re born during the winter, and more likely to have bipolar disorder if you’re born in the [first quarter of the year](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1155204). I remember reading that there might be a link with OCD, too. They think it might have to do with the amount of Vitamin D the mother gets at specific points during the pregnancy. September schizzie here! 😛 My rant for now: Why does it have to be so damn cold in my room? And I have school tomorrow. Boo. At least tomorrow, maybe I can go on the school computers and do my usual school computer thing (sneaking onto the SDMB.) ---
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2013, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-means-november-rants/672729/547 "2013-11-25T00:14:36Z")
> [@deltasigma](#): > > Thanks. I’ve clipped both threads for future reference but the thing is, this only started a few months ago and I don’t see anyway I could have developed an infestation in the meantime. I live by myself and have been very anti-social recently so I haven’t had any guests. I had one contractor in for an estimate but that was just a quick walk through and I’m not sure about the timing of his visit in relation to the bug bites. > > My home is a single family dwelling and the only bugs I otherwise have a problem with are those damned stink bugs - but they can fly so that’s not really a fair comparison. Maybe the occasional ant or fruit fly but that’s it. You’re looking for how others could have brought them to you. It’s far more likely they hitchhiked on you from a public place like a waiting room, restaurant, movie theater, city transit. Workplaces are also reporting problems. During the day, they move as little as possible and rarely try to feed. They move around just enough to move from a crevice in a chair, find a crevice in clothing to hide in, and then wait it out until dark and the clothing is discarded and/or not moving to come out. They’re most active between 3 and 5 in the morning, when people are most likely to be sound asleep. Anyway, I’ll shut up about it. You’ll do what you’re comfortable with, and I hope it all works out.🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Flutterby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Flutterby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flutterby)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2013, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-means-november-rants/672729/548 "2013-11-25T00:16:26Z")
So apparently I’m a Libra now, my boyfriend can stop telling me I should be more decisive as a Scorpio… ---
**Author:** ![deltasigma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e5b9ba/32.png) [@deltasigma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/deltasigma)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2013, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-means-november-rants/672729/549 "2013-11-25T00:23:54Z")
> [@SeaDragonTattoo](#): > > You’re looking for how others could have brought them to you. It’s far more likely they hitchhiked on you from a public place like a waiting room, restaurant, movie theater, city transit. Workplaces are also reporting problems. During the day, they move as little as possible and rarely try to feed. They move around just enough to move from a crevice in a chair, find a crevice in clothing to hide in, and then wait it out until dark and the clothing is discarded and/or not moving to come out. They’re most active between 3 and 5 in the morning, when people are most likely to be sound asleep. > > Anyway, I’ll shut up about it. You’ll do what you’re comfortable with, and I hope it all works out.🙂 No. I appreciate the info thanks. But that gives me another clue. You see unlike a normal person, I don’t undress in my bedroom. Since I live by myself, I can come home and just sort of kick off my socks, shoes and pants wherever it’s convenient. That’s usually quite a ways from the bedroom. So you’re sort of making me think more carefully about the places I’ve gone prior to getting these bites. And without going into a lot of detail, I don’t really get out all that much so I’m not as daft as it might seem when I focus on just one place. edit: I go other places at the same time to run errands, but that’s the only place other than the pharmacy where I really carry anything out with me and since I go to the pharmacy more frequently, I don’t think there’s a correlation there. ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2013, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-means-november-rants/672729/550 "2013-11-25T02:40:24Z")
I am weary of seeing Facebook posts like this: “Lady in front of me pulls out EBT card to pay for 45 dollars food items, then whips out cash to pay for 143 dollars for Christmas ornaments. WTF?” “OMG! This lady pulls her food stamp card out of her COACH purse? I wish I could afford a Coach purse and the government paid for my food.” I also don’t understand why people pay so much attention to what other people in line are buying, how they are paying for it, or what brand purse they own. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2013, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-means-november-rants/672729/551 "2013-11-25T03:01:53Z")
Bets it isn’t a real COACH purse… Reminds me of Tom the Dancing Bug’s Lucky Ducky character. (Google it, lots of strips with that character. You’ll appreciate it after that post. I walked into the convenience store the other day to buy a single powerball ticket. Woman is custom ordering tickets, rattling off numbers. Only she’s too stupid to realize that you can’t pick the same number twice (or three times in one case). Manager is punching them in and causing a bit of consternation in that I’m not the only other person who wants just one (or two) tickets and we’re being made to wait for this bint. Then she get them all rung up and pulls out her credit card. :smack: State law says you have to pay cash for lottery tickets, which I would think she would know if she had ever bought a ticket before, but given that you can’t select the same number more than once on a ticket and she tried it FIVE FUCKING TIMES in the time I was there - being told she couldn’t do that EACH FUCKING TIME… Her friend paid for them and told her to pay her back. :rolleyes: Oh yeah, other cashier is ringing up people who don’t want lottery tickets. Idiot walks up behind me, I tell him he can go ahead if he isn’t asking for a lottery ticket, since a couple of us are waiting. He walks up to the counter and… asks for a lottery ticket. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![curlcoat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ea5d25/32.png) [@curlcoat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/curlcoat)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2013, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-means-november-rants/672729/552 "2013-11-25T04:11:21Z")
> [@Rhiannon8404](#): > > I am weary of seeing Facebook posts like this: > > “Lady in front of me pulls out EBT card to pay for 45 dollars food items, then whips out cash to pay for 143 dollars for Christmas ornaments. WTF?” > > “OMG! This lady pulls her food stamp card out of her COACH purse? I wish I could afford a Coach purse and the government paid for my food.” > > I also don’t understand why people pay so much attention to what other people in line are buying, how they are paying for it, or what brand purse they own. Well, since CA is getting taxed to death, and probably has more people per capita on welfare than any other state, and $Mas is coming up, they may just be getting more sensitive about what people are doing with their tax dollars. Not that I have any idea what a COACH purse looks like … I assume they are expensive? ---
**Author:** ![Indyellen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/indyellen/32/4176_2.png) [@Indyellen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indyellen)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2013, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-means-november-rants/672729/553 "2013-11-25T04:17:36Z")
Fuck. Apparently my friend S. fell down the stairs sometime in the last 24 hours. Initially, they thought it was simply a broken collarbone but then he developed a brain bleed and has had to have emergency brain surgery to relieve the pressure. It appears there are also possible spinal fractures. He’s in a medically-induced coma in ICU right now. He’s only 41. I’m worried about him, his wife, and their young son. This really sucks and is not how the weekend should end. Any good thoughts are welcome. Oh, and just to make it more special, he went to Urgent Care. The doc there caught the collarbone, but nothing else. They sent him home; S. rested for a while, then woke up incoherent. This led to ER, seizure, surgery, etc. If he fell bad enough to fracture his collarbone, the quack in the box should have sent them straight to the ER for further evaluation. Dumbass. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2013, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-means-november-rants/672729/554 "2013-11-25T05:47:00Z")
> [@deltasigma](#): > > Since I live by myself, I can come home and just sort of kick off my socks, shoes and pants wherever it’s convenient… \*Note to self: This in and of itself is not sufficient reason to leave wife and kids. \* But, damn, it sounds like freedom… ETA: And while I was being flip, _Indyellen_ was worrying about a friend. Thoughts and prayers for S.; hugs for you – keep us posted. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2013, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-means-november-rants/672729/555 "2013-11-25T06:09:49Z")
> [@flatlined](#): > > This will only work for people who live in the same time zone as me…feel free to change the months as you see fit. Not the same time zone, the northern temperate zone. I’m still fishy 😛 I wanted something less squicky than a pair of incestuous trouts, damnit! ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2013, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-means-november-rants/672729/556 "2013-11-25T06:16:31Z")
Mom was to come to The Local Capital Saturday at noon, we had opera tickets for 7pm; yesterday I was dropping her in another town and continuing travel to Barcelona. She came at 9am instead, was extraordinarily bubbly all day, tried to convert me to Christianity twice (listen woman if YOU want to go to Mass say so and I’ll be ok with joining in, but when I’ve already said it’s not in my plans for the day that’s exactly what I mean), finally told me what was bugging her yesterday. Apparently my brother and his always delicious and sensitive wife have decided not to spend this year’s Feast of the Epiphany at my mother’s; not getting to pick any of The Kidlet’s presents because their proud parents must do it personally was bad enough, but whatever. Christmas Day Presents are given at the house of The First Grandmother (i.e., the one who’s not my mother). Mom is now planning on coming to Barcelona for three weeks and I’m trying to come up with a formulation of “you FUCKS, you wanna stay in The Village on the 5th so the Kidlets can get the presents from their majesties directly fine but spend the 6th at Mom’s you RATFUCK BASTARD!” which wouldn’t count as death threats. I’ve got friends in Barcelona. I love the town 99% of the time. But God, can’t my relatives just die already? ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2013, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-means-november-rants/672729/557 "2013-11-25T06:28:12Z")
> [@curlcoat](#): > > Not that I have any idea what a COACH purse looks like … I assume they are expensive? Yeah, they are expensive, but they can also be picked up at Goodwill for a song. I recently got a $100 Fossil purse for $4.25. I guess I’m feeling sensitive because one of my best friends is working hard, but can only find part time work right now. She uses “food stamps” to make ends meet when she can’t do it on her pay. She worked hard and payed into the system for years. Why should she and people like her be mocked and judged for using some of what they paid in? I understand the outrage that there are people in general who are scamming the system, but you cannot look at that person in line in front of you and know their story. ---
**Author:** ![curlcoat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ea5d25/32.png) [@curlcoat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/curlcoat)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2013, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-means-november-rants/672729/558 "2013-11-25T06:38:52Z")
> [@Rhiannon8404](#): > > Yeah, they are expensive, but they can also be picked up at Goodwill for a song. I recently got a $100 Fossil purse for $4.25. Heh, I’m way behind the times - don’t know what a Fossil purse is either! Will admit I blew $10 on my last purse … 😃 > [@](#): > > I guess I’m feeling sensitive because one of my best friends is working hard, but can only find part time work right now. She uses “food stamps” to make ends meet when she can’t do it on her pay. She worked hard and payed into the system for years. Why should she and people like her be mocked and judged for using some of what they paid in? > > I understand the outrage that there are people in general who are scamming the system, but you cannot look at that person in line in front of you and know their story. There isn’t anything wrong with using food stamps, it’s when some folks are also obviously able to come up with cash for unnecessary things, like $100+ in decorations or the latest smart phone. Or like what is becoming common around here, fast food for the kids on the EBT card. Those Facebook posts are about people gaming the system. If your friend isn’t doing that, don’t let the posts get to you. ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2013, 8:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-means-november-rants/672729/559 "2013-11-25T08:14:57Z")
The wrapper said “Bittersweet Chocolate **Orange** ” so I bought it. Didn’t notice until I was unwrapping it that underneath, in _very light_ letters, it also said “With Almond Slivers”. Oh well, a few almonds won’t hurt anything. Unless the whole bar is chockablock with them, and they’re pointy. Good tasting chocolate, but the kind I would like to let soften in my mouth. Which I couldn’t do because it had these pointy almonds in it. Oh well, only 200 calories. ---
**Author:** ![Cinnamon\_Imp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/58956e/32.png) [@Cinnamon\_Imp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cinnamon_Imp)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2013, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-means-november-rants/672729/560 "2013-11-25T13:07:30Z")
> [@Cinnamon\_Imp](#): > > I give up one of my free evenings a week to attend your choir for two hours. I have to pay a semester membership for the priviledge. Do I want to waste my time and money being told off publicly in front of the choir like a naughty schoolgirl? Nope. > > And you wonder why you’re struggling to recruit (and keep) new members. It was a fun five weeks, it _had_ been slowly retraining my voice and my confidence in my voice, but you just fucked that up, didn’t you. Six days later, I’ve calmed down a bit and now it’s time to decide whether to take this as an opportunity to leave the choir without looking like a quitter (i.e. making it look like the choirmistress is a bully who’s chased yet _another_ member away) or whether to tough it out and go back tomorrow night. It’s one of these things, I do enjoy the singing once I get there, but I spend all day before it dreading it, with rising anxiety, and just wanting to crash out once I’ve put the toddler to bed, rather than run out the house and spend the evening hanging out with grannies singing! And I don’t want to run the risk of getting told off like that, everytime I can’t make a rehearsal or concert. Which will be quite often. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-means-november-rants/672729.md?page=27) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-means-november-rants/672729.md?page=29)